Next to the Special Forces Shovel and the Ka-Bar Zombie Killer Knives, the Gerber Gator Machete Pro is just as good of a weapon to use during a zombie apocalypse.
If the Gerber Gator Machete Pro looks familiar, it's probably because you saw it on the season two premiere episode of The Walking Dead. Of course, if the zombie apocalypse doesn't happen, you can use it for more mundane everyday tasks such as cutting branches.
Was basically waiting for Otis to become zombie late-night snack, but didn't guess at how he would die. Same lessons from last week apply--semi autos, magazine capacity, medical and communications gear. I've got a bunch of submissions that I need to post up, so keep an eye out for them throughout today and into tomorrow.
We've had some great entries so far and expect some more goodness as we wrap things up. Have also been playing around with ultralight cooking setups-- soda can stoves and picked up an MSR Pocket Rocket. A few weeks ago, I did a head-to-head showdown between the Strikeforce and the similar Bear Grylls fire starter, with the Strikeforce coming out on top. The Blast Match is a fairly unique fire starter design, unlike the traditional ferro rod and scraper.
Once you get the finish scraped off the ferro rod's surface and get a bit of practice, it is easy to do and requires next to no dexterity to do so.
The ability to use the Blast Match one handed is really how it has differentiated itself from other fire starters and ferro rods on the market.
Survivors is currently pulling three-stars on Amazon, which includes dozens of reviews from fans who would probably give Rawles five stars if he released a recap of the phone book. Patriots is not exactly a great novel, but it is readable and has some good survivalist content and info.
Another excellent episode, introducing Herschel's farm, which will be the group's home base for the next several episodes. The importance of medical supplies and medical knowledge--Daryl's stash of antibiotics, Herschel's skills and the medical equipment Otis and Shane set out to recover.
I found the Crunch scenario a little unrealistic at times and thought the collapse was a too quick in its time line. The Glock's stock mag release is not ideal--look at the array of aftermarket replacements out there.While it's never been a big deal to me, I figured an update was in order, so I picked up the $15 to $20-ish Vicker's Tactical model in hopes of speeding mag changes.
You would think for the $11-$16 price difference, you would get some decent instructions ala many of Magpul's products.
Compared side by side with the stock Glock magazine release, there's barely any difference between the two releases - the Vicker's Tactics is slightly longer and with softened edges.
The CDC formally recognized the threat posed by zombie-ism earlier this year, and now they're out with a free guide for surviving the zombocoplyse.
When you move up to around $100, there are a variety of rail systems available for the AR-15.
The rails are sized correctly--the Magpul AFG2 pictured slid on perfectly, and the rail covers snapped on fairly easily as well. These are obviously heavier than the stock plastic handguards or the Magpul MOE--they're made of aerospace aluminum, not plastic.
Each item comes with their respective sheaths as they would if you purchased them individually.

This bad boy is a multipurpose blade that can function as an ax and knife that will easily lop off the head of any flesh eater.
Shane and Otis trying to escape the walker infested school with the medical supplies that Carl needs to survive.
When Shane arrived back, traumatized and obviously disturbed, you knew something wasn't right. People have done lots of horrible things in the name of self preservation. Where do you draw the line?
Still need to get a few ends sorted out on it, but pretty happy with how it's coming together. My two and a half year old was able to successfully get sparks from the Blast Match, which should tell you something about its ease of use. If you're in a survival situation and bust your arm, how would you start a fire with a conventional two-piece design?
It got well into the top 100 on Amazon and apparently making the New York Times bestseller list. The episode largely set up for next week's episode, which will have Shane and Otis trying to blast their way through a horde of undead.
The group is being forced to split into multiple smaller groups, each unable to communicate with the others, radio for help or give updates. If Otis and Shane both had ARs, AKs or a similar rifle and a bunch of mags, they'd be in much different circumstances at the end of the episode. She read Survivors with me, has not read Patriots and is not the dystopian fiction junkie that I am. To keep ourselves entertained, we added fun accents and voices to the the less interesting parts.
However, the book's ending leaves a lot of loose threads and it is unclear if these will be resolved in Rawles' next book. Alas, the Vicker's magazine release comes with no instructions and a big warning to only have a professional gunsmith install the part.
They come in a variety of flavors, at a variety of price points and can be used to attach all kinds of stuff to your AR-15. In this price range, most are "drop in," which means they can be swapped in and out as easily as the stock plastic heat guards. They are well made and install in a few minutes, without any need for tools--though if you have an AR-15 handguard removal tool, it would probably make installation even faster. It has a rubberized handle to provide a secure grip, a military nylon sheath and a sharpening stone. His betrayal of Otis, while shocking, horrible and dramatic, wasn't a surprise--there'd been signs of what kind of depths Shane would sink to in order to survive and keep Lori and Carl alive. Sewing up a cut is one thing, but any kind of surgery is going to require someone who has done more than watch some YouTube videos and read some books. You want to your faith, beliefs and morals sorted out beforehand, because they will certainly be tested. The Strikeforce is my preferred ferro rod at the time--it throws great sparks and has a built in tinder storage compartment.
The survival info contained within Survivors is, generally, an inferior re-hash of what is contained in Patriots. Rick unable to communicate with Lori and needing to send out a messenger, Rick unsure of why Shane is being delayed--several examples.

Several of these characters are completely disconnected from the main plot line and we're left confused about their purpose. Instructions are out there on the net (more later), but still, for the price premium, they could throw some instructions in. The extra length does make mag releases a bit easier, but I still have to shift my grip to drop the magazine.
The best instructions for changing the Glock magazine release that I could find were here, at Glockmeister. I'm of the "less is better" camp--in most instances, a foregrip, flashlight and slide attachment point will be what you need. They also come in different lengths - the typical 7-inch carbine-length, midlength and others. Mine did not ship with any instructions, but there are plenty of instructionals out there are YouTube if you haven't swapped out handguards before. In addition to the standard picatinny rails, the CMT rail also has several holes for mounting sling swivels. And they are made of aerospace aluminum, so it's not like your AR-15 suddenly registers in at Garand-like weights.
I plan to post a follow up once I get some additional trigger time with these, so stay tuned for that. Also, if Shane and Otis had some sort of melee weapons, things might have ended up differently. The ferro rod hits the ground and is forced back up into the handle, the scraper bites in and kicks off sparks. There's just not much about the Vicker's release to deserve the price premium they are charging on a basic plastic part. I haven't looked into these yet, but they could be a good alternative to buying a $30-$50 sling attachment point. It's a dark place, for sure--cold and ultimately concerned only with surviving, whatever the cost.
In the zombie apocalypse, you want something that doesn't run out of ammo as a last-ditch back up. Yes, medical advances have something to do with it, but standard-issue body is the main contributor. The large pot nests nicely in a Guyot stainless bottle and has replaced my GSI nesting cup in my EDC bag. If for some horrible reason I've got angry gunfire incoming, I'd prefer to be in an Abrams tank, but having some level III rifle plates is better than bare flesh. All blades are forged with high carbon stainless steel.The knives are great for a variety of uses as well.
One features a tactical sheath, another is compact and the DMF folds neatly for easy concealment. Use these tools to build a shelter, construct other tools, or use for hand to hand combat.Remember, all Gerber Gear is backed by a lifetime warranty.